As the temperatures continue to soar, Huzhou's beverage industry is capitalizing on the so-called "summer economy" by expanding its international footprint.

At Lanfangyuan Food Company — based in Huzhou, Zhejiang province — automated production lines are busy preparing iced lemon tea and fruit tea for overseas markets.

According to Huzhou Customs, the value of the city's exports of beverages, including tea drinks and beer, hit 220 million yuan ($30.62 million) from January to May, a 55.8 percent increase year-on-year.

Automated production lines churn out beverages by the thousand in a Huzhou plant. [Photo/Tide News]

Lanfangyuan Food Company, a long-time player in the beverage sector, has made a real success of bringing its fruit and iced lemon teas to Europe, America, and Southeast Asia. "Our summer beverages generated over 10 million yuan in exports during the first five months, up 60.1 percent year-on-year," said Zhu Yuemin, an operations specialist.

Elsewhere, Huzhou Tesila Beer Company is also seeing a sales boom, with its popular beer brands winning over consumers worldwide. "We've expanded into the African market this year," said Shen Minghui, the company's sales director. The company plans to continue investing in research and development to further expand its market reach.

To support this overall beverage bonanza, Huzhou Customs is making more efforts to enhance export processes, offer policy guidance, and implement seamless customs procedures, ensuring that Huzhou's beverages reach global customers efficiently.